SPRINGFIELD – A law sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) meant to protect the financial security of the formerly incarcerated is one of several new laws that took effect Jan. 1.

House Bill 900 prevents the Department of Corrections from suing recently released inmates for the cost of their incarceration, effectively banning a practice known as “pay-to-stay.”

“A practice that is as regressive and harmful as pay-to-stay has no business being part of a modern society,” Peters said. “We’re putting an end to what is basically indentured servitude and ensuring that formerly incarcerated people don’t continue to be harassed once they’ve finished serving their time.”

Another Peters law, House Bill 2665, allows minors 12 years of age and older to receive preventative treatment for sexually transmitted diseases from a physician without parental consent.

SPRINGFIELD – Students are now allowed to self-administer prescribed medication while at school under a law sponsored by State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines).

Murphy’s measure requires schools to allow students with an action plan to self-administer prescribed medication with permission from their parent or guardian.

“No parent should have to wonder whether their child will be able to access their medication when they need it,” Murphy said. “When we give kids the right to self-administer their medicine, we not only give them control over their own health—we also make it easier for them to focus on school work, and we reassure parents that their kids are well cared for at school.”

Gwynne Ryan, a teacher at Maine West High School brought this issue to Murphy. Ryan faced opposition from her child’s school when she requested that her child be allowed to self-administer medication.

SPRINGFIELD – Minimum wage earners statewide will see a $1 per hour increase their next paycheck under a law spearheaded by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) that was signed in February to gradually increase Illinois’ minimum wage to $15 by January 2025.

“Many working families have waited for this increase for almost a decade,” Lightford said. “I stand firmly on the belief that workers deserve a decent wage and I am committed to standing with them as we continue the fight for a living wage.”

CHAMPAIGN - A new law on the books will secure protections for the Mahomet Aquifer thanks to State Senator Scott Bennett.

Senator Bennett (D-Champaign) passed Senate Bill 2027, which directs the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to prioritize landfills overlying the Mahomet Aquifer for inspection.

"Considering the Mahomet Aquifer is the most important water source in east-central Illinois, I have worked frequently with the Mahomet Aquifer Task Force to ensure it is protected," Bennett said. "They are a tremendous group to work with and now we can be assured that 500,000 people know the water coming out of their faucets is clean and safe to drink."

The bill requires the IEPA to use existing information available from the state and federal agencies to identify unknown, unregulated or under-regulated waste disposal sites that sit above the aquifer and may pose a threat to surface water or groundwater resources.

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois law enforcement officers will receive increased wellness and suicide prevention training starting Jan. 1 thanks to a new law sponsored by State Senator Bill Cunningham.

“Suicide and mental health are some of the most serious issues facing our law enforcement community,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “This law will help officers recognize these issues and provide them with a better understanding of the mental health resources available to them.”

House Bill 2767 requires the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board to develop a course addressing the issues of officer wellness and suicide prevention. The course will be included in the training requirements police officers must complete before graduating the police academy and will also need to be completed every three years after graduation.

The 2010s have been an important decade in new laws advanced by the Illinois Senate in every area, from human rights to health and consumer protections. It was a decade bookended by major capital development plans and defined by bold education funding reform and the end of capital punishment in Illinois. Here are 10 of the most important laws passed by the Senate since 2010.

SPRINGFIELD - State Senator Ram Villivalam has been appointed to the Senate Special Committee on Pension Investments by Senate President John J. Cullerton to fill the vacancy created by the departure of former State Senator Toi Hutchinson.

“I’m committed to ensuring the state upholds its promise to compensate our hardworking employees upon their retirement and to make sure these investments are indeed smart ones for taxpayers,” Villivalam (D-Chicago) said. “It is our responsibility to ensure that all Illinoisans who dedicate their lives to serving the state are not left without the means to support themselves and to provide fair opportunities for minority-owned businesses that have long struggled to break into the investment industry.”

SPRINGFIELD – People with disabilities can often face barriers when looking for employment. However, Illinois continues to lead by example to break down those barriers.

Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) passed legislation that will require the state to facilitate the hiring of individuals with disabilities.

“Having a job means having dignity, independence and purpose, regardless of whether an individual has a disability,” Morrison said. “The state of Illinois should be a leader in showing that individuals with disabilities are just as capable in the workplace and have a valued role in contributing to our state and our economy.”